Diuretics:
Diuretics (also called water pills) are often the first drug prescribed to people with high blood pressure. Diuretics are one of the most common and least expensive of high blood pressure medicine. Diuretics are effective in older persons and can be combined with other medications.
How diuretics reduce high blood pressure:
Diuretics force the kidneys to excrete more sodium than normal. When the kidneys excrete sodium, water is also excrete. This reduces the amount of water in your blood. Less water means less pressure on the walls of the arteries.
Types of diuretics:
There are three types of diuretics. These diuretics work by on different areas of the kidneys. Each type works on a different area of the kidney. The types are called thiazides, loop, and potassium-sparing:
- Thiazides are often the first diuretic given to people with high blood pressure.
- Loop diuretics are given when the thiazides aren't controlling blood pressure enough.
- Potassium-Sparing diuretics are often used with other diuretics and help the body to keep potassium.
